2020: The Year of Ransomware
While the coronavirus has been the bane of existence for the entire planet since March, cybercriminals have exploited the worries and fears of people around the world to scam their way into their countless networks, especially via ransomware.
One of the biggest headlines of 2020 with regard to ransomware was when Maze ransomware’s operators promised to stop attacking the healthcare industry. There is no honor among thieves, of course — they listed stolen medical data for sale on the dark web last May.
In the third quarter of this year, ransomware attacks rose 50 percent compared to the first half of 2020, proving the tactic is popular among cybercrooks. Healthcare is the industry most targeted by ransomware operators, as well.
It doesn’t help that ransomware attacks are rarely reported to police. According to Europol’s Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment 2020, victims instead work with “private sector security firms” to investigate attacks or negotiate ransom payments. This leads to widespread underreporting of ransomware attacks.
Cybercriminals never take a break from their deeds – in fact, the chaos created by a worldwide pandemic has given these threat actors even more ammunition for ransomware schemes. Make sure your operations are protected.
When you’re ready for a third-party assessor to perform a security assessment for your organization, 2W Tech is ready to partner with you. We have a thorough Cybersecurity Compliance Program that will protect your organization from ransomware and regulation violations alike. Contact us today.
Read More:
Move Over Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0 is on the Rise